Pork barrelling Golkar style

[ronb]

In the news for the past few days has been this proposal to give each parliamentarian 15 billion to spend in their electorates. Indonesia Matters says:

Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie over the weekend defended the proposal that each lawmaker be provided with 15 billion rupiah ($1.6 million) to fund projects in their constituency as a way of answering the prayers of poor communities and those in regions left behind by development.

Analysts and political observers have been scathing in their criticism of a legislation proposal floated by the Golkar Party that each lawmaker be provided with 15 billion ($1.6 million) to fund development projects in their constituencies.

Good God! The guy has built a huge business empire, so he clearly isn't stupid, so why on earth does he not suggest something that might not stink of corruption? If these lazy, greedy, often unintelligent legislators got given a handout on that scale, does anybody think that more than a handful of them would use it in impartial or unselfish ways?

Neighboring Papua New Guinea has a similar approach to politics - I wonder who is copying who?

Read the complete article here.
https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/1291b6aadce77f39